Life Before The Lottery… Living Beyond the Bucket

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Which Is Worse?

Which is worse?

The pain of progress or the pain of stagnation? It depends on which side of the fence your current situation puts you on, but no matter where your personal circumstances have landed you one thing will remain…there will be pain.

Try

Everyone talks about the comfort bubble and the comfort zone but what is not always discussed is the pain that comes with those comfort zones. Oh yes, there’s pain in the comfort zone. No one ever wants to admit it, but the comfort zone can become a silent killer. Death by comfort is actually very painful. It’s slow, silent, and suffocating. Stagnation will eventually rot the very thing that’s sitting in it.

I’d rather have the pain of progress than the pain of stagnation.

Progress can also be painfully slow and at times feel like it’s going to do you in. The very essence of progress is change and change can be brutally uncomfortable but ultimately rewarding. One of the painful things about progress is that often times we want overnight success and cannot see the beauty ingrained in the process of progress. Little by little is not a bad thing.

Getting out of debt can be overwhelmingly slow, but the disciplines developed in the process can last a lifetime. The same can be said for weight loss, or learning to cook, or teaching a young one to read. Ask someone who’s made progress in their cancer battle and if little changes are a big deal. Moving forward after you’ve been hurt may also need to come in small increments and baby steps. Do not despise baby steps. Sometimes that’s the only way to keep from going backwards.

Next time it feels like nothing is happening, nothing is going your way, and like things will never change–take a look at where you started. Chances are it’s not where you are. Pick your pain. That’s the beauty of progress…it means you’re on your way to your destination. Hang in there.

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Ashlee Bratton – author of the book “Life Before The Lottery: Living Beyond The Bucket” is a professional photographer, freelance writer, and at times an inspirational speaker with a bachelor’s degree in speech communication and master’s degree in business administration.

Along with completing 29 of the 30 things on her 30×30 list, her writing contributions include numerous publications such as Vail’s EAT magazine, creating a 56 page Visitor Guide for a mountain ski town, blogging and guest blogging, being featured in multiple newspapers and e-zines, and various other projects.

Currently, she keeps her camera in hand in Southern Colorado, is a complete and total foodie, and takes plane rides for fun. She likes things that go.